Gordon Strachan has developed a fondness for quoting statistics since being appointed as Celtic's manager, but he was understandably reluctant to delve into figures after this victory.

Of course, a one-goal win and the collection of three points - which cuts Rangers' lead in the Premier League to four - are the most significant numbers to Strachan but the utterly limp nature of his team's showing here should not go unnoticed. This Celtic team seem to be feeling the pressure from Rangers' meaningful title challenge although it must be noted that Walter Smith's team have also been uninspiring at times this season.

The home side's goalkeeper, Robert Olejnik, was not forced into a single save; Celtic, in fact, had only two attempts on target, and had the match officials to thank for their success. Falkirk, utterly dominant in possession, particularly in the second half when Olejnik might as well have read the Sunday papers, were denied two legitimate penalty claims while the winning goal, arriving from the head of Scott McDonald, was later shown to be offside.

"Bumpy, muddy, frantic," was Strachan's assessment of proceedings, the manager's concerns over the state of the pitch contradicted somewhat by some of the fine football played by Falkirk, with the youngsters Scott Arfield, Darren Barr and Thomas Scobbie outstanding.

Artur Boruc was by far the busier goalkeeper of the opening stages, Celtic's custodian superbly clawing away a Scobbie free-kick before saving smartly at the feet of Graham Barrett. John Underhill, the referee, had earlier refused Falkirk's appeals for a spot-kick as Gary Caldwell appeared to handle a Dean Holden cross.

"You can ask me about referees but I'll end up in Alcatraz next time I say something [about them]," joked John Hughes, the Falkirk manager who is currently serving a touchline ban on account of clashes with the men in black.

Holden's afternoon ended in agonising fashion eight minutes before the interval after he was caught by a late Stephen McManus tackle; the immediate concern McManus and his team-mates had for the full-back highlighted the serious nature of Holden's injury, thought to be a double leg break. McDonald compounded Falkirk's grief in first-half stoppage time, flicking Shunsuke Nakamura's pinpoint cross beyond the advancing Olejnik.

Falkirk spent the second half virtually camped in their opponents' half and Underhill again showed leniency as Massimo Donati upended Kevin McBride inside the penalty area